Olive Oil - health and beauty benefits
Olive oil is 77% monounsaturated fat and is naturally cholesterol-free..
Olive oil is gluten free - Gluten is found in wheat and rye, and to lesser degree in barley and oats, but is not in 100% pure olive oil.
Olive oil contains no salt.
Olive oil complements and enhances flavor of healthful foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits, pasta, grains and rice, as well as seafood and poultry.
Olive oil also goes well with herbs and spices. Use them as a substitute for salt in food preparation.
Because olive oil is so flavorful, not as much is needed to provide flavor in many foods. All food oils have the same number of calories per tablespoon - about 120 - but, for both cooking purposes and flavor, less olive oil is needed than other vegetable oils.
Olive oil contains 1.6mg, or 2.3 IU (International Units), of vitamin E (a natural antioxidant) per tablespoon (14g serving).
One tablespoon provides 8% of RDA for vitamin E.
Olive oil may be used as substitute for butter or margarine in many recipes.
A study found correlation between consumption of olive oil (a highly unsaturated fat) with lower blood cholesterol.